We did it, you guys. It's finally time to step outside, sans jacket, and enjoy the season. Toronto's best patios are already open and ready to welcome lovers of food and drink for as long as the sun is shining. But if you're keen to explore more of Canada this year, there are amazing al fresco dining experiences happening all across the country, from authentic Indigenous food experiences that support Indigenous chefs and makers to farm dinners and bucket-list worthy events.
Way over on the West Coast, chef James Walt and the Araxi culinary team have crafted a spectacular annual dinner just outside Whistler that includes multiple gourmet courses around a single long table. On the other side of Canada, Food Fantastique is showcasing the best of Nova Scotia, with a jaw-dropping dinner on the ocean floor. Closer to home, chef Joel Gray and sommelier Hannah Harradine invite guests to their home and farm for an intimate dinner in the scenic Grey Highlands, Ontario.
It doesn't matter if your plans to enjoy delicious food and wine involve hopping on a plane or just meandering around the corner to your local patio; we urge you to soak up the season with a memorable al fresco dining experience.
5 bucket-list-worthy outdoor dining experiences in Canada
1. Araxi Longtable Dinner
Pemberton, B.C.
Sunday, July 27, 2025 | $259
There is scenery, and then there is the Araxi Longtable Dinner, where a long, communal table is stretched against the backdrop of Mount Currie for an al fresco dining event. The idyllic annual experience, held at North Arm Farm in Pemberton, British Columbia, kicks off with a cocktail reception, where champagne flows and tiny, delicious canapés are passed among the 200 attendees dressed in flowy summer attire.
Watch culinary director James Walt and his team orchestrate a four-course family-style menu from the open-air kitchen, featuring produce from North Arm Farm, Okanagan steak and wine pairings from British Columbia’s top producers.
2. Dining on the Ocean Floor
Burntcoat Head Park, N.S.
June 23 to September 17, 2025 | $809
Few experiences are more bucket-list worthy than a three-course meal on the Bay of Fundy, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of North America. The seven-hour culinary adventure at Burntcoat Head Park starts with a local forager guiding guests through the wild edibles of Nova Scotia while the tide is high.
Tuck into a seafood lunch on top of the red rock cliffs, before indulging in local cheese, pasture-raised beef and butter-poached Nova Scotia lobster on the ocean floor, paired with local craft beer and Nova Scotia’s Tidal Bay wine. Bring your rubber boots and your appetite — Mother Nature will supply the rest.
3. Down Home
Grey County, ON.
Fridays and Saturdays | $175
Two hours north of the city, chef Joel Gray and sommelier Hannah Harradine weave magic across 10 courses of tasting-menu perfection at their beautiful Markdale farm. Down Home, nestled within the scenic countryside of the Grey Highlands, is a pastoral experience that ties together their love of the province and the nearby farms.
From wild leeks grown right on the property to braised pig’s head from Good Family Farms, the supply chain is short, and the wine list is blissfully VQA. In the summer months, guests gather around the open fire for a cooking demo and take foraging walks before heading inside the cozy farmhouse for a seasonal menu that’s always changing.
4. The Fireworks Feast
Souris, P.E.I.
May 16 to October 11, 2025 | $255
For a decade, chef Michael Smith has delighted the taste buds of local and travelling gourmands with The FireWorks Feast at The Inn at Bay Fortune. The immersive farm-to-fork dining experience created by Smith and his partner in life and business, Chastity Smith, started as an intimate 50-person affair, but has morphed into a nightly 80-person meal running from May to mid-October. With oyster-shucking, live-fire cooking, farm tours and (new for this year) farmer chats that delve into topics like regenerative agriculture, The FireWorks Feast has become a cornerstone of P.E.I.’s culinary scene.
5. Les Cocagnes
Frelighsburg, Q.C.
June to September, 2025 | From $125
Tables Champêtres
There are more than 20 Tables Champêtres across Quebec, all offering farm-to-table dining experiences that celebrate the region’s agricultural heritage.
Just down the road from Frelighsburg, one of the Eastern Townships’ most charming villages, sits Les Cocagnes. Every weekend from June to September, the agro-ecological collective farm hosts ‘Table Champêtre.’ The event showcases the harvests of local farms and producers with a five-course menu prepared by talented chefs from Quebec, paired with wine, beer and cider.
Feasting on certified organic food with 20 other diners, under the twinkling lights of the pergola, feels like being inside a Monet painting, surrounded by flowery fields and a shimmering pond. Best of all, the proceeds from this unique and intimate experience help support their mission of providing land access to young, dynamic agro-ecological businesses.
